What Would You Do?

So maybe this is a random place for me to be asking this, but I'm curious as to what people would do, and I want to hear from people who don't know me and so have less of an emotional factor (towards me) in their response.

I have always been really insecure about my profile. I had problems with a large overbite and an underdeveloped lower jaw when I was younger, and I went through years of headgear, braces, rubber bands, springs, etc etc to try to fix it. While my teeth now align properly, my lower jaw never... I guess grew fully. I'd always assumed that this is just how I look and there was nothing I can do.

My dad recently informed me that not only is my jaw still underdeveloped, but that some of my orthodontics treatment was a bit botched, and didn't help. (I initially started with a student orthodontist then switched to one who had been out of school for years, btw). My second orthodontist informed my dad of the situation and told him that if was a source of insecurity for me later in life, he might want to consider getting me plastic surgery to correct it.

So I'm at the point where my parents are presenting me with a choice: Get the surgery or accept that my jaw was slightly messed up.

I'm not saying that this poll will dictate my decision, but I am curious to know how people who don't know me as well view the situation.

THE QUESTION: If your looks were somehow changed via a botched orthodontics job (or any other cosmetic or medical procedure), would you get plastic surgery to correct it? (Assume it's a source of insecurity)

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Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):

So maybe this is a random place for me to be asking this, but I'm curious as to what people would do, and I want to hear from people who don't know me and so have less of an emotional factor (towards me) in their response.

I have
...

So maybe this is a random place for me to be asking this, but I'm curious as to what people would do, and I want to hear from people who don't know me and so have less of an emotional factor (towards me) in their response.

I have always been really insecure about my profile. I had problems with a large overbite and an underdeveloped lower jaw when I was younger, and I went through years of headgear, braces, rubber bands, springs, etc etc to try to fix it. While my teeth now align properly, my lower jaw never... I guess grew fully. I'd always assumed that this is just how I look and there was nothing I can do.

My dad recently informed me that not only is my jaw still underdeveloped, but that some of my orthodontics treatment was a bit botched, and didn't help. (I initially started with a student orthodontist then switched to one who had been out of school for years, btw). My second orthodontist informed my dad of the situation and told him that if was a source of insecurity for me later in life, he might want to consider getting me plastic surgery to correct it.

So I'm at the point where my parents are presenting me with a choice: Get the surgery or accept that my jaw was slightly messed up.

I'm not saying that this poll will dictate my decision, but I am curious to know how people who don't know me as well view the situation.

THE QUESTION: If your looks were somehow changed via a botched orthodontics job (or any other cosmetic or medical procedure), would you get plastic surgery to correct it? (Assume it's a source of insecurity)

I think that how we feel about our looks, as long as there is nothing pathological about them (i.e. anorexia), and we can afford it, why not? We all deserve to feel our best about ourselves.

I think it depends on a lot. First of all, is the problem purely cosmetic, or are there potential long term problems such as TMJ disease? If there are possible long term problems, then you should strongly consider correcting the issue.

If it's purely a cosmetic issue, then that is really up to you. If it bothers you, which it sounds like it does, and you would feel better about yourself if it were corrected, then by all means have it done if cost is not an issue and the benefits outweigh the risks.

Other factors that would influence your decision are the fact that you mention surgery. Depending on how invasive, there are inherent risks associated with any surgical procedure. Anesthesia, while I think can be pretty safe, still has risks involved. Also consider that surgical procedures are generally not 100% guaranteed. Consider what sort of post-op recovery you would be facing.

I think it would be smart to talk to the surgeon first to understand all risk/benefits associated with the procedure.

It may also effect the way you chew your food, and over time, it could effect the alignment of your teeth and whole mouth and cause chronic pain, if not treated, so if it is affordable, I would think this is a medical necessity.

I would suggest an ora-facial surgeon at a University Medical Center. NOT a "Community Hospital" and NO MORE students! At a University Teaching Hospital, residents will do a lot of the work, but it is all reviewed and often the difficult surgical work done by a Board Certified Oro-Facial surgeon.

IMO, Community Hospitals don't have the staff or the experience to do things as important as facial surgery.

Good luck. I hope you get good results. If you get a good, board certified, well trained doctor with a LOT of experience (have him show you his book of patients, so you can see his work. Also, make sure he has done this procedure many many times.)

There is more to wanting this surgery than "vanity." Your facial structure is important to your health, so I would say, if you have the time for healing (and really, you don't NOT have the time, if you want results) and your parents can afford the procedure (it should be covered by insurance, but sometimes it isn't) then go for it.

May I ask? Have you been diagnosed with Pierre Robin Syndrome? What you describe is very close to this condition, and if it is considered "Medical" and not just "Cosmetic" your surgery will most likely be covered by insurance. See a good oro-facial surgeon at a Uni Teaching Hospital, and get a diagnosis and see what happens.

My sister is actually going through a similair situation at the moment, albeit almost the opposite of your problem. She had major damage to her teeth and had to have most of her upper teeth and all of her lower teeth surgically removed after a car accident. She has a plate for the top, but for whatever reason she never got a plate for the bottom. This has resulted in her bottom jaw moving forward and starting to stick out as normally your jaw is held in place by your bottom teeth being blocked from moving forward by your upper teeth. Thus she has a witch like chin.

I'm not a supporter of plastic surgery, however in both your case and hers, if it is a procedure to correct some form of damage that may otherwise negatively affect your self esteem I think it would be fine.

In a perfect world I'd love to say love yourself the way you are for everyone of our imperfections are what make us individuals and that beauty comes from within, however if its something you would like to do and can afford to have done by the best possible person... well I say go for it

It may also effect the way you chew your food, and over time, it could effect the alignment of your teeth and whole mouth and cause chronic pain, if not treated, so if it is affordable, I would think this is a medical necessity.

I would
...

It may also effect the way you chew your food, and over time, it could effect the alignment of your teeth and whole mouth and cause chronic pain, if not treated, so if it is affordable, I would think this is a medical necessity.

I would suggest an ora-facial surgeon at a University Medical Center. NOT a "Community Hospital" and NO MORE students! At a University Teaching Hospital, residents will do a lot of the work, but it is all reviewed and often the difficult surgical work done by a Board Certified Oro-Facial surgeon.

IMO, Community Hospitals don't have the staff or the experience to do things as important as facial surgery.

Good luck. I hope you get good results. If you get a good, board certified, well trained doctor with a LOT of experience (have him show you his book of patients, so you can see his work. Also, make sure he has done this procedure many many times.)

There is more to wanting this surgery than "vanity." Your facial structure is important to your health, so I would say, if you have the time for healing (and really, you don't NOT have the time, if you want results) and your parents can afford the procedure (it should be covered by insurance, but sometimes it isn't) then go for it.

May I ask? Have you been diagnosed with Pierre Robin Syndrome? What you describe is very close to this condition, and if it is considered "Medical" and not just "Cosmetic" your surgery will most likely be covered by insurance. See a good oro-facial surgeon at a Uni Teaching Hospital, and get a diagnosis and see what happens.

My teeth align fine and I don't expect that to change after the headgear. It really isn't medical necessity, as I think it's more like.. my chin didn't grow or something, so it's still small like when I was young. I suppose it is purely cosmetic and I haven't been diagnosed with anything. (My dad is actually a dentist, so if there was an actual medical issue, I am sure we would've had it diagnosed and corrected by now. He has oral surgeon, ortho, and every other type of dentist-type friends galore.)

I would, I'm not opposed to making you feel better about something if you have never been secure about it. If you have the money to do and it will make YOU feel better about yourself then yes I'd do it.

By all means, if you're capable of affording the procedure and you know it's something you really want that would increase your confidence, go for it!

I just don't understand the women that get plastic surgery in the hopes of looking like society's standard of "perfect".. Heidi Montag for example- she was a beautiful girl before plastic surgery, much prettier than after the procedures, but thought she needed to look a certain way to be sexy.

I fully intend to get a breast lift one day.. not because I think my boobs are ugly, but because they're large and I don't want them to sag when I get older. I know it will make me feel more confident, so I see nothing wrong with it. It's not as if I feel it's something I need to do to be okay with myself, just something I would like to do for myself. If the same rings true with you, then I think it's perfectly okay to go ahead with the procedure.

I say no, because every inperfection makes a person unique. My sister was born with clift lip, a flattened nose, and no roof to her mouth. Now, the clift lip and roof to her mouth were all fixed when she was only a few months old. She still has the flat nose, and she loves it, because it makes her, her. There is no one out there like her, and she loves it.

I don't know you personally, but with what you have written, you are just fine the way you are.

So maybe this is a random place for me to be asking this, but I'm curious as to what people would do, and I want to hear from people who don't know me and so have less of an emotional factor (towards me) in their response.

I have
...

So maybe this is a random place for me to be asking this, but I'm curious as to what people would do, and I want to hear from people who don't know me and so have less of an emotional factor (towards me) in their response.

I have always been really insecure about my profile. I had problems with a large overbite and an underdeveloped lower jaw when I was younger, and I went through years of headgear, braces, rubber bands, springs, etc etc to try to fix it. While my teeth now align properly, my lower jaw never... I guess grew fully. I'd always assumed that this is just how I look and there was nothing I can do.

My dad recently informed me that not only is my jaw still underdeveloped, but that some of my orthodontics treatment was a bit botched, and didn't help. (I initially started with a student orthodontist then switched to one who had been out of school for years, btw). My second orthodontist informed my dad of the situation and told him that if was a source of insecurity for me later in life, he might want to consider getting me plastic surgery to correct it.

So I'm at the point where my parents are presenting me with a choice: Get the surgery or accept that my jaw was slightly messed up.

I'm not saying that this poll will dictate my decision, but I am curious to know how people who don't know me as well view the situation.

THE QUESTION: If your looks were somehow changed via a botched orthodontics job (or any other cosmetic or medical procedure), would you get plastic surgery to correct it? (Assume it's a source of insecurity)

Gosh there are so many actor to consider when answering this question. I have a friend who had a similar problem and underwent the surgery and was completely amazed and happy with the results. It did wonders for her self esteem and she went on to a college degree in performing arts. For her it was a no brainer, her looks were holding her back in her mind and once she had healed she was the person she outside that she had been inside.

If that is how you feel then I would say do the research, find a doctor/surgeon you trust to perform the surgery. Learn about the recovery time of your particular surgery and what changes you might see. Educate yourself on what could go wrong and then really weigh how much it would mean to you. It's so subjective but I think if it makes you feel better about yourself then you should go for it.

It sounds like it would be for purely cosmetic reasons (since you said your teeth align properly, etc.), so it really depends on whether you feel it's worth it. Do you like how you look right now? Would you be happier if you looked different (forget the surgery for a moment, just imagine someone waving a magic wand at you and voila!)? How much happier would you be? And then consider the cost of the surgery. Would you still be happy paying that amount for the surgery?

I was asked whether I wanted cosmetic surgery twice in my life. Once was for an eyelid surgery (I have a monolid) and a nose job, and the second time was for jaw surgery to correct my underbite. Both times, I said no. I like what I see in the mirror everyday, and there's no guarantee that I would be happier after getting cosmetic surgery done, so I generally don't see it as being worth it to myself.